Seo Jaehoon swept back his bird's nest hair with an annoyed gesture and spoke.
"Really?" I asked back, without much thought. There wasn't anything I particularly needed to remember. I just wanted to know if I had made any mistakes.
"Um, yesterday, did I... do anything wrong?"
"Curious?"
"Huh?"
Seo Jaehoon's subtly irritable voice made me feel even more dejected.
"No, it's not that I'm curious..."
I mumbled, trailing off, and Seo Jaehoon lifted my chin.
"What's wrong...?"
"I thought this might help you remember."
Before I could even be surprised by his face coming so close, Seo Jaehoon's lips met mine. This crazy bastard...
I jumped. I didn't even know if Park Min-ah was home or not, and I couldn't be kissing Seo Jaehoon in the morning.
I pushed Seo Jaehoon's shoulder with all my might. "No, no," I said, but the words were all muffled in Seo Jaehoon's mouth. When I pulled my head back, Seo Jaehoon, who had sucked my tongue into his mouth, bit it hard with his teeth.
"Ah!"
A groan, like a scream, escaped from my throat. At the same time, memories of last night flooded back. Memories of the sweet-smelling bed.
Seo Jaehoon, who kissed like he was trying to pull out my tongue, chewed on it, as if biting was his habit when kissing. When our lips finally parted, my mouth was filled with the metallic taste of blood from my bitten tongue.
I pulled my head back, trying to break the kiss.
"S-stop it. Please. Why are you doing this..."
My body trembled uncontrollably.
"Why? Are you scared of me now?"
Yeah, you crazy, crazy bastards. I hung my head and rubbed my wet lips with the back of my hand. I wondered how I could escape this situation. Then, in a flash, an idea popped into my head.
Now that things had come to this, maybe the best way was to seduce Park Min-ah myself and get together with her.
"What are you thinking about, Ha Yeoul?"
"...Just... nothing."
"What kind of nothing?"
"...Just... why you guys are doing this to me."
I had to put my plan to seduce Park Min-ah into action without giving anything away. I didn't even know if this was a romance, or a romantic thriller anymore.
"Can... can you put a door on my room...?"
"Ha Yeoul."
"I want to go into my room. I want to be alone, but there's no door... huh? Jaehoon-ah..."
I deliberately made my voice sound tearful. I coughed several times for no reason. I scraped out a voice full of metallic sounds and begged, "Please put a door on, please."
Seo Jaehoon seemed to be particularly unable to stand it when I sounded weak. Even though I was filled with anger after kissing this bastard twice, I suppressed it and pleaded with Seo Jaehoon. What did it matter if we kissed twice, three times, or four times? It wasn't like it would wear me down.
Damn it... I was filled with curses, but I barely managed to hold them back and grabbed Seo Jaehoon's hand tightly.
"Put a door on. Huh?"
"Ha Yeoul."
"If you put a door on, I promise I won't close it all the way, I'll leave it half open. Huh? Please..."
I clung to Seo Jaehoon as if I had forgotten what he had just done to me. This was a method that would never work on Nam Kangwoo or Mo Taehee. They would probably just say no without hesitation, whether I begged or not. I had to persuade Seo Jaehoon to put up a door before they got involved.
"Jaehoon-ah..."
Just as I was wondering if I should squeeze out some tears, Seo Jaehoon moved. As expected, even though he was foul-mouthed, he was the softest of the three. Sleeping in Seo Jaehoon's room had been a stroke of genius. Even though I had kissed him twice.
I rubbed my lips, which still felt like they had been kissed, and got up from my seat, following Seo Jaehoon. I wondered where he had hidden the door.
Seo Jaehoon opened the door inside the kitchen and went in. What was that place? Was there a place like that inside?
The inside of the kitchen that Seo Jaehoon had entered was like a utility room. A washing machine and dryer were lined up, and another refrigerator was in place. And there, as expected, was the door to my room, standing alone. I was suddenly glad. It almost felt touching.
I even put my hands together in front of my chest and waited for Seo Jaehoon's next move.
Quickly, quickly, get out...
"Ha Yeoul."
"Uh-huh."
"If I do this, what are you going to do for me?"
I froze, as if petrified, at Seo Jaehoon's unexpected question. My hands, clasped together in front of my chest, trembled pitifully. It was a moment when I had to give something in return that I had never thought of or expected.
I dragged out my words, half out of my mind.
"Uhh...?"
"What are you going to do?"
"Well... I don't know...?"
I mumbled, avoiding answering. This crazy bastard, after rubbing his lips on mine twice, what else did he want me to do?
Seo Jaehoon stubbornly met my gaze and looked at me. What, what did he want to do? I couldn't bring myself to look Seo Jaehoon in the eye, so I focused my gaze on his chest.
"I... I can do it, cough— cough!"
A cough burst out at just the right time. As I coughed, shaking, Seo Jaehoon, who had been standing next to the door, quickly approached. His white hand covered my mouth and slowly stroked my back.
I put my hand over Seo Jaehoon's hand that was covering my mouth and calmed my trembling body. Seo Jaehoon's palm was full of moisture from the constant coughing.
When the shaking finally subsided, I immediately grabbed Seo Jaehoon's hand and rubbed it on my pants. In case I had spit on him. I didn't forget to apologize, "Sorry," and wiped his palm on my thigh.
"Ha Yeoul."
"Yeah..."
"Next time these bastards try to kiss you, kick them somewhere with your foot."
"...Yeah... huh?"
I only understood half of what Seo Jaehoon said and looked up. Kick them...? Where...?
Seo Jaehoon looked at my blank face with a slightly pitiful expression. Or maybe not pitiful, but... what should I call it... a frustrated face like he had lost a toy.
"I'll put the door on for you."
I just stood there with my mouth open like an idiot, even at the words he added as if he was doing me a favor.
"Answer."
"U-uh, okay, I understand."
After hearing my answer, Seo Jaehoon moved. He easily lifted the large door and left the utility room. That foul-mouthed guy, when he wasn't smiling, he seemed the scariest of all.
I rubbed my shivering body and finally pulled myself together to leave the utility room.
I left the utility room a little later and stared blankly at Seo Jaehoon's back as he put the door on in front of my room. I was impressed by how easily he fit the door, thinking it must have been just as easy to remove. And it was surprisingly noisy too, making me feel a bit foolish for not having woken up back then.
After the electric drill whirred a few times, the door was installed. The noisy sound caused those who had been in their rooms to come out and gather in front of my room like zombies. Park Min-ah was among them. I guess she hadn't left.
The expression of my roommate 1 or 2, or maybe 3, who was visible behind Park Min-ah's back, was unusual. They didn't seem to like the fact that he was putting the door back on.
"Ugh... what's with all the noise from the morning..."
Park Min-ah was pretty even when she had just woken up. It was like a female lead buff.
I wondered how I, a pathetic supporting character, could seduce Park Min-ah. Would she meet me if I asked her to meet? No, more than that, would these losers let me meet Park Min-ah alone?
I was staring blankly at Park Min-ah. Maybe I was staring too intently, because Park Min-ah raised both hands and covered her cheeks.
"Yeoul-ah, what is it? Why are you looking at me so closely? I'm really swollen right now."
She puffed out her cheeks and stuck out her lips. Park Min-ah was cute. She was even cuter because she was surrounded by those dark figures.
I couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Nam Kangwoo took a step forward, as if he didn't like the fact that my gaze was on Park Min-ah.
"Ha Yeoul. How are you feeling?"
"Me? I think I'm okay... Jaehoon made me some honey water this morning, so I drank that."
"Good job."
Nam Kangwoo reached out and stroked my cheek. It was a little too intimate to be a friendly touch. My eyes widened and I took a step back.
Just then, the door that had been installed clicked and opened, so I naturally went into my room.
"I'm, I'm a little tired. Um... Min-ah, goodbye. Go out and have breakfast with the guys. Okay? Be sure... be sure... to get some hangover food. Outside. Okay?"
I said pitifully to Park Min-ah. Please take all those losers out with you. Please...
"Ha Yeoul."
"Uh-huh...?"
"Close it halfway."
I heard Seo Jaehoon's low voice. That foul-mouthed bastard... I wished he would just swear and jump around. Why was he talking so scary? For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had ended up holding the bomb in a game of hot potato.
I nodded like a real wimp. I didn't forget to say "Thank you."
I carefully grabbed the door and closed it exactly halfway. About this much? I looked at Seo Jaehoon, roughly estimating with my eyes, and he nodded a couple of times, as if he liked the gap between the doors. Only then did I breathe a sigh of relief and turn around.
I was really tired, like I was going to die. I had kissed all my roommates in one day, but now I didn't care about that anymore. I couldn't waste my energy on that. I had to remind myself several times that my energy was different from others and look for a way to get together with Park Min-ah.
The front of the door was noisy until I flopped down on the bed. Please just go. I screamed silently and pulled the blanket over my head. I covered myself from head to toe and lay on my side. I put my head on the soft pillowcase and blinked a few times, and soon drowsiness washed over me.
Even in this serious situation, my crazy body showed off its weakness and dragged my tired body into a deep sleep, oblivious to everything.
I couldn't lift my drooping eyelids in this urgent situation and fell into a deep sleep. The sound from the front of the door gradually faded away.
"Yeah, please go."
I mumbled in my sleep.
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